Balcony Encounter
by Anka7995
Summary: Daphne Greengrass is on the verge of becoming mad with her puppy of a date... but one unexpected encounter on the balcony might change the course of the afternoon.
1. Balcony Encounter

**A/N:** This is written for Hunger Games competition, if you want to read the companion to this one-shot in Harry POV, you can find it on MuggleJane's profile, also, I will link it on my profile. 4

_Harry/Daphne_

**Balcony Encounter  
**

"I will be back from the loo," I said sending a fake smile at my _date_. Merlin, this man was one of the worst set of Pansy's and Astoria's and my mother's set-up dates combined.

What was the thing with people hopelessly and I suppose happily in love that they try to make everyone they know climb the ship of love?

"How long will it take?" My date, what was his name again? Larry, Garry… I have dubbed his name as Mike, because he acts like a puppy and well, the only thing missing, I suppose was a wagging tail.

"Fifteen minutes," I smirked, barely holding back a groan, "You know, lady time."

He nodded believing my lie, and then looked around the place like a puppy.

I stepped away from our shared table with a sigh and instead of the bathroom, I escaped to the balcony.

I was tired and I was sure, five more minutes with the human-puppy, I would have a head-ache, which won't leave me till the next morning.

I needed to clear my head from all sorts of thoughts.

This was not the first time I was set-up on a date…

And this was not the first time I hated being single.

The room was getting nauseating with all the cheesiness and love.

Maybe you despise what you don't have, huh?

As I entered the balcony a gush of wind rustled through my hair, I released a breath, at-least it was cooler here.

I glanced at the flamboyantly large arrangement of tulips and gardenias, that screamed Pansy, I wonder if Ginny and Mrs. Weasley had a say in wedding arrangements. If she completely had her way, there would be drums and an large orchestra in the hall, so they had soem say in the wedding arrangements.

Pansy, since she was eleven had her wedding all planned, even the groom.

But that is how times change the groom was well not the eleven year old version of the bride would have expected...

Our friends changed, friendships took new meanings, I mean who would have expected Pansy Parkinson marrying Ronald Weasley or vice versa?

Maybe they got along with Pansy's wishes as unbelieving as it was, Mrs. Weasley loved Pansy like her daughter and Pansy found the mother she had never known, I was happy for my friend, with all my heart, but… at the same time jealous of her and every person happily in love, dancing in the room, murmuring sweet nothingness…

When will I get that?

Why can't I get that?

"I think I am in hell," I said to the breeze that whisked passed me, and I was not expecting a reply in return.

"You left hell back there, actually," A male voice said, a familiar male voice, "I think this is real life, and we are the only sane people left."

I came face to face with Harry Potter, I raised an eyebrow at the boy-who-lived, and then laughed, who knew Harry Potter was endowed with sarcasm. I looked at him; he had become quite handsome and well-built, which was evident even from his suit, the talks of his green eyes being mesmerizing were true.

"Daphne Greengrass?" He asked, tilting his head to one side, I was surprised he recognized me, even though I was not a Harry Potter supporter back at school, I was not anti-Harry Potter, I was in the background but he had noticed me… Curious… But why did the fact made me feel flattered?

"What's that, Potter?" I asked, smiling in a teasing way, "Couldn't find a date?"

"Er, not exactly," He replied, looking uncomfortable.

I smiled, "If I had a knut for everytime I had heard, 'I have this friend, you'll love him'…" I shook my head bringing my head out of my reverie, I cannot go complaining to Harry Potter.

"Right, exactly," He said, nodding in understanding, after a moment's silence he said, "I said, I had a date but she had to cancel last minute."

"I will have to keep that in mind next time," I said, smirking, that was a nice idea, to keep Astoria and Pansy under the idea that I had a date and make that imaginary date cancel at the last moment, "My date thinks… I am in the loo, of course I told him I was going to be there for fifteen minutes."

"You could go in the flowers," He said, "But you might never come out then."

I glanced at the large flower arrangement and laughed, yeah, one might definitely get lost there… Bless Pansy and sometimes her outrageous er… beautiful choice.

"I'd risk it," I replied, controlling my laughter, "This one's like a dog, all slobbering up and trying to climb my lap. I keep expecting him to try and mount my leg under the table…"

He was definitely not expecting what I had said, because his eyes widened to what I believe could not be humanly possible, or maybe his glasses gave that effect.

"Your eyes look like they are going to pop out of your head," I smirked, "It's all champagne I am trying to make this date bearable with," I informed him, "I just wish they were serving something stronger…"

But that could not be done, it was a wedding reception and the middle of the afternoon.

"Pansy would not go drinking with me, you know," I said, shaking the flute of champagne as I took a sip, "Maybe that is why I am not the part of wedding party, she is afraid of what I might say, like in fifth year," I stopped myself at that, he did not need to know more about the Slytherin blunders, I smirked remembering them.

I glanced back at the reception hall, it was easier to look in the hall from the balcony but not vice versa, my apparent date was flitting from table to table, looking for me, I can only assume.

"So, what has the great Chosen One been doing since he saved the world?" I asked in an attempt to maintain conversation.

He winced at the name before replying, "I am an Auror,"

"I can't say I am surprised," I said, "I bet you're good at it."

"A bit," He said.

"So modest," I smiled.

"What about you?" He asked, with a smile of his own, a brilliant smile, I might add.

"This and that," I replied, "I try to evade the match-making efforts directed my way, you know." I took a sip of my drink and added, "I design clothing,"

"That's brilliant," he said, "I have never met someone who does that, do you like it?"

"When I am not arguing with the suppliers," I replied, "Honestly, you'd think someone will be able to negotiate the price on a bolt of dragon-hide down about forty percent would be able to," I was about to say something else, but then I glanced at the hall again and saw my so called date, "talk their way out of this mess…" I said and stepped closer to him, using his body as a screen to hide me, coming too close… So close that I could smell his cologne, or was it him, something earthy and heady.

His eyes widened at the distance.

"Thanks, Harry," I said, "you make an excellent screen."

He still looked surprised and I realized I was still close to him, "Someone should get that one a collar and chain him to the table," I muttered and he looked down at me as if contemplating something.

"Listen," He began with some hesitation, "Do you want to get a drink sometime?"

"How about now?" I asked, before I could stop myself, he hesitated and I felt a smirk forming on my lips, "Trust me no one is going to miss us…" I added.

He looked at the glass door, from where they happily in love couples, wrapped around each other were clearly visible.

"Yeah, alright," He said after a moment's contemplation.

"Do you have somewhere in mind?" I asked, keeping the flute of champagne down on a nearby table.

"You mind going muggle?" He asked.

"As long as your next words are not 'I have this friend, we can go in the middle of the desert for all I care," I joked.

He smiled and his hand snaked around my waist and I put both of mine on his shoulders, holding onto him, "Ready?" I asked.

"Since, I got here," he replied and then I felt the familiar feeling of being squeezed through the pipe, but it was not that bad with his earthy and heady smell and his arms around me.


	2. note

Hello dearest readers! As you know this was supposed to be a one-shot but I have a few follows and requests asking me to continue the story. And then suddenly there isthis plot bugging me. So if you are intersected in reading further please PM me.. I will continue the story then.


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